Ink on my fingers

(Anonymous)

Gazing in awe at the monumental geometry of the Giza   pyramids, one cannot avoid pondering the fundamental questions. By whom, when, how and why were these enormous stone structures built? We know that the traditional or mainstream response from the hallowed halls of academia is that pharaohs of the fourth Dynasty built the pyramids of Giza around 2,500BC. Conventional thinking suggests that the  ancient Egyptians used ramps to build the pyramids that were destined to be the tombs of their kings. At the opposite end of the supposition spectrum, the new-age esoteric paradigm proposes that the pyramids were built in some remote pre-history by aliens using  technology now lost to us. Their purpose was to provide a signpost for the future of mankind. So what do you think?

Consider first the identity of the builders. Most visitors, staring at the amazing structures, believe that the Giza Pyramids sprang up spontaneously in a bronze-age agrarian culture that did not appear to possess the necessary construction technology. They contend that the archaeologists are erroneous in crediting the pharaohs of the fourth Dynasty with such wonders. Furthermore, they argue there are no inscriptions, no historic records and no dating techniques to support the Egyptologists’ contention that Khufu (2551-2528BC), Khafra (2520-2494BC) and Menkaura (2494-2472BC) built these colossal stone structures. And if the small satellite pyramids were for the Kings’ wives or daughters, is it likely that Khufu and Menkaura each had three, while Khafra had none?

But, in truth, there was no spontaneity about Giza. We can trace the development of building skills from the immensely talented Imhotep’s ground breaking construction of Djoser’s stepped pyramid (2630-2611BC), through the efforts of the architects of Sneferu (2575-2551BC) who built the Meidum, Bent and Red pyramids. Much can be learnt in a century! After all, we have progressed from the Wright Brothers to ultrasonic stealth fighters in the same time.

I concede that there are no inscriptions, apart from some dubious daubs on a granite slab in the relieving chamber of the Great Pyramid. No foundation stone has been uncovered inscribed with the Pharaoh’s name! Such an oversight would not occur in later times! Or would it? Are the builders of the Coliseum, the Parthenon or even Westminster Abbey celebrated in sandstone or granite? No! In fact it is far more common for ancient building to be anonymous!

What about historic records? So far, no papyri have come to light that  specifically link the pyramids to the fourth Dynasty Kings. After nearly five millennia that is no surprise! There are also no records in stone or pigment to support the archaeologists’ claim. In place of direct evidence the Egyptologists rely on contextual evidence. There is no disputing the fact that a large construction camp once existed on the Giza plateau. Archaeologists who swelter in the pursuit of   ancient clues have found the proof. They have established the existence of sleeping quarters for many thousands of workers. They have identified the remains of refectories, of huge bakeries producing the rich bread that nourished the workers, of butcheries and of fisheries. And it is here, in the construction camp, that references have been found to the names of the working gangs including ‘The Friends of Khufu’.

But dating techniques are difficult and often ambiguous. An effort was made to ‘carbon-date’ organic material trapped between the pyramid’s huge blocks, but the material available is minute and it cannot be proved to date from the time of the original construction. The organic material found in and around the construction site however is clearly proved to be from the period of the fourth Dynasty and firmly indicates that the construction camp and the adjacent quarry were operational at that time. Given this information one has to ask the question, if the thousands of labourers housed in the camp were not building the pyramids, what were they doing there in such numbers at that time?

So the weight of evidence for ‘who’ seems to be firmly on the side of the conventional wisdom. For this student of Egypt however the question of ‘who?’ still has some unanswered aspects and one intrigues me more than most. It is virtually a given fact that in Pharaonic Egypt each King tried to outdo his predecessor. He would adopt his predecessor’s works without qualm, replacing the old   cartouche with his own. He would build a larger temple, sculpt a bigger statue and generally try to get his name, rather than that of his predecessor on the lips of the living. This was to ensure his continued existence in the Afterlife by having his name spoken in the living world. ‘Speak my name that I may live!’ Why is it then that Khafra’s pyramid is slightly smaller than that of his father Khufu and Menkaura built a much smaller pyramid than Khafra? Shouldn’t it have been the other way round?

But what if the Giza Pyramids already existed in pre-dynastic times? Then Djoser and Sneferu could be  accused of trying to copy the ancient structures! Khufu might have decided to grab an existing pyramid and having first claim, would have chosen the biggest. Khafra had next choice and poor Menkaura was left with the little one. And if by chance the pyramids were in need of some repair and maintenance, perhaps a new cladding of limestone and a paint job, Khufu would have called in the workers and set up a construction camp…perhaps?  In the next issue of Shemu I will dip the quill into the ink to discuss ‘how?’ and ‘why?’